String instrument



M. SELBACH STRING INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 Jnremar:

Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,710

M. SELBACH STRI NG I N S TRUMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1921 3 sheets-sheet 2 arm/anion Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

ITED STATES MAX SELBACH, OF PFORZHEIM-DILLS'I'EI N, GERMANY.

STRING INSTRUMENT.

Application filed August 13, 1921. Serial No. 491,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Max SELBACH, a citizen of the German Republic, residing at Pforzheim-Dillstein, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in String Instruments, of which the followin is a specification.

y invention relates to string instruments and more especially to a device for improv ing the tone of steel-wire strings in such instruments and which at the same time protects the bridge against injury. Steel strings involve the dlsadvantage that when touched or played with the bow, they ive a harsh and strident tone and also in ure the bridge and the string holder by cutting into them in the course of time.

It is an object of this invention to avoid these disadvantages by aid of a cushioning pad of suitable material. This pad is interposed between the bridge and the strings and forms a cushioning pad, being provided with an extension which is disposed either in front of or behind the bridge.

This extension offers the advantage that the vibrations of the string are already caught in front of the bridge so that the harsh tone of metal strings is mellowed and becomes more like the tone of cat-gut strings.

In one modification the pad is formed of two pieces of leather, each consisting of a portion resting upon the bridge and an extension, the pieces being cemented together, preferably with the rough sides in contact, and the Wire string being passed through the extensions. By moving the pad in one or the other direction, the cushioning pad combined with the pad approaches or recedes from the bridge, whereby the tone of the string can be made harsher or softer. The pad is secured in its position on the bridge by the cushioning pad situated in front or behind the bridge.

In guitars and similar musical instruments the cushioninv pad is preferably disposed in front of tli: bridge. in violins behind thebridge, that means nearer the player of the instrument.

The novel device can be still further simplified by effecting the connection between the string and pad by means of a wire eye provided upon the extension of the pad and through which the string is passed. In this case the pad may consist of a fiat, single or double piece of leather.

In the drawings afiixed to this specification and forming part thereof, two modifications of a device embodying my invention are illustrated by way of example. In the drawings- Fig. 1 shows the pad with its extension in an enlarged scale,

Fig. 2 the arrangement of the pad upon the bridge,

Fig. 3 a modified construction on an enlarged scale and Fig. 4 this modification in position on the bridge.

Similar parts are indicated by the same letters of reference throughout the figures of the drawings.

ais the flat pad which is provided with an extension 6. Both parts consists of small pieces of leather f, g, with their rough sides connected together. The wire string is inserted in the extension I) at the place It and passes between the two layers f, g, imuing ag 'n at the point i.

ig. 2 shows the ad in position on a musical instrument, t e strings resting on the surface a and the extension 6 being disposed behind the bridge.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a is again the pad integral with the extension b. Both consist of a single layer or a plurality of layers of leather cemented together. Through the extension I) a wire is drawn in such a manner that it forms an eye 0 at the upper side of the extension, through which the wire string is passed.

The eye may, as a matter of course, be formed and fixed upon the extension 5 in any other suitable manner.

Fig. 4 shows the manner in which the pad is applied to a musical instrument and how it is disposed upon the bridge the rsrtion a resting on the upper edge o he brid and the extension 6 being iw'alied. behind t e bridge.

It will be obvious that the pad may be made of any suitable material and that its shape and configuration may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Device for improving the tone of metalstrings for musical instruments comprising a cushioning pad and an extension formed thereon for fixing it to a string.

2. Device for improving the tone of metalstrings for musical instrunients comprising a leather pad and an extension formed there on for fixing it toastring.

3. Device for improving the tone of metalstrings for musical instruments comprising 10 a plurality of leather pieces With their rough surfaces r-onnccted together to form a cushioning pad and an extension on said. pieces for fixing them to a string.

4. Device for improving the toneof metalstrings for musical in'strur'nehts comprising a cushioning pant An extension formed thereonand an eye on said extension for fixing sairl pad to a string.

in testimon whereof I alfix my signature.

MAX QELBACH. 

